Folding carriage



L. W. TAYLOR.

FOLDING CARRIAGE.

-APPLICAT10N FILED OCT. 12.1920.

M .7 7 Patented Dec. 12,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L. W. TAYLOR.

FOLDING CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. I920.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 l l I 1 I I l It.

l I :1: 3 5 1 t:

LESLIE Ji ASZ-IBURNE TAYLOR, ULVERSTON, ENGLAND.

FOLDING CARRIAGE.

Application filed October 12, 1920. Serial No. 416,354.

T 0 all whom itmag concern 1. the hammock being omitted in these fig- Be it known that I, LssLrn WAsrlnnnnn ures for the sake of clearness.

TAYLOR, a subject of the King of Great Brit- Figure 4f. shows the push-chair almost ain and Ireland, residing at Ul erston,'La-ncompletely collapsed or folded.- 60

5 cashire, England, have invented 118V and Referring to the said drawing it will be useful Improvements in Folding Carriages, seen that the push chair illustrated therein of which the following is a specification. consists of a framework comprising the rear The present invention relates to folding approximately vertical tubular members a carriages such as push-chairs, invalid chairs, and b, the upper ends of which pass through 5 10 perambulators and the like. the tube-c which forms the handle, the lower The object of the invention is to provide ends converging as shown and pivotally cona carriage with a deck-chair support, connected at (Z to the rear end of the appr Xivertible to a hammock, of simple construcmately horizontal member 6 preferably of tion which is light, easily folded into a small channel formation. The front of the frame 70 compass for carrying and unfolded ready is pivoted to the forward end of the channel for use. A further object of the invention is c at and is formed as shown by an open to provide means for covering the wheels ended ill-shaped tubular member 9. The when in a folded condition so as to prevent rear members a and Z) are maintained in a the wheels from soiling the clothes with rigid position by the locking mechanism 75 which they may come into contact while the hereina ter described while the frontmenrcarriage is hein g carried. ber g is held up in the position Shown by. the Folding chairs are known but the charactension of the cord 7a connecting itto thecross teristic feature of the invention hereinafter bar c carried by the tubes a and 7) and is pre more particularly described resides in the vented from falling back further by the profact that the front wheels always remain in jecting pins j which bear against the front a fixed position whilstthe rear wheels are edge of the footboard lc attached to the chanautoinatically operated by the folding incchnel c. The frontwheels Z are suspended from anism to take up a folded position between the fore endof the channel e by means of the the front wheels in respective planes which curved spring m attached to: their axle mid- 30 converge in the form of the le ter f. A way between the wheelsZ itsupper end being further characteristic feature is the provibolted to the .underside of the channel .6. sion of a pocket, formed in the fabric of the Each of the rear .wheels n is carried by the hammock or support for the occupant of the lower end of the struts .0 the following concarriage that is suspended between two struction being adopted in. order to allow of members of the collapsible frame which the folding of the chair as hereinafter more pocket covers the wheels of the carriage when particularly described :,o represents twothe same folded. still further feature armed or V-shaped lovers the tops or apices of the invention is the formation of the hood of which arepivoted at (1 to the lower ends which can be fully opened or closed or reof the lovers rthe upper ends of which are 10 tained in any inter!mediate position between pivotally connected to the tubes (L and 7) at the fully opened or totally closed positions. 8. The upper arms 25 of the levers 2) pass The particular construction of a carriage through and are secured. to. the rod u rotatin accordance with the invention and of its ably mounted in the channel 6 while the various parts and the manner in which it is lower ends of the upper arms a? pass through 1 0 4-5 folded up or collapsed and unfolded ready and secure the struts 0 which pivot thereon in for use will be more readily understood from folding and opening. By this construction the following detailed description with refa universal joint is obtained, the'struts 0 erence to the accompanying drawings in pivotingin and out'on the levels p and forwhich similar reference characters relate to wards and backwards when the rod a ro- 50 corresponding parts in all the figures. tater. The lower arms 4) of the levers p are Figure 1, is an elevation of my invention secured to a horizontal tie-bar w hooked at as embodies. by way of example in a childs each end to receive the struts 0 and prevent, push-chair and showing the same in its open these from s ereading. O5 is a cam plate ator unfolded position ready for use. tached to the channel 6 insuchfa position as Figure 2. is an end elevation and Figure to spread the struts 0 to bear outwards 3 a plan of the push-chair shown in Figure against the hooks of the tie-bar w, and 3 a '15 situated midway thereon.

required position aha ill permit thus locking the entire folding mechanism.

The body supporting member which may be for convenience and is hereafter called the hammock consists of a single strip of fabric 2 suspended by coil springs, not shown on the drawing, from the cross bar a and is attached between the members a and Z) from 8 to f and continuing in a curve as shown I to 5 thence 6, 7 over the footboard is to? and thence to 9, the ends are attached at 3 and 9 on to the members i and 9. Two pieces of fabric, 9, 7, 10, are sewn from 9 to 7 one on each side to the side edges of the hammock forming what may be and is hereafter termed the pocket. The upper portion of the hammock has sides of meshwork as shown consisting of cords 11 passing through the eyelets 12, tied at each end thus allowingthe strip of fabric to be stretched horizontally between 5 and 13 by fixing the hook 15 of the rod 14 attached to the fabric, between the levers a" over the rod 8 (Figure 3), the length of the rod 14 corresponding to the width of the hammock with the hook if necessary for the support of the head of the child fabric may be substituted for the cords 11. An additional strip of fabric of the same width as the hammock is sewn to the same along its width at 17 and normally lies along 17 to 4, being attached by hooks at 4.

A. cord 9, 5, 3, supports the child in the hammock which is attached to the cord at each of these three points. In order to keep the sides of the hammock apart the memher 5 is n'ovided as shown. which is a bar of bow-shape in order to prevent it bearing on the legs of the child. 18 is a cord attached between 5 and the channel 6 of such a length as to hold the bar 5 back in the (Figure 4.2) when the pocket is turned inside out over the wheels n and Z. This cord 18 also exerts a downward strain on the cord 9, 5, 3 at 5 so that when a child is in the hammock the resultant downward strain at 5 is barely sufiicient to relax the strain on 18: 19 is a rod t needed in the seam of the hammock and is fixed in a clip 20 to tighten the fabric between; 5, 6, and 10, 7, 6 and thus impart a neat appearance.

Two fabric covers are provided for the chair one on each side (shown for convenience in chain dotted lines in Figures 1, 2, and 4;) and attached thereto between the side covers of the chain to the eyelets at 21.

points 9 and 3 by a cord passing through a seam in the edge of the fabric. The outer fabric covers are attached along the sides of the front member 9 on to a cord attachment to the ends of the levers 2) up to i and 3 and also at s.

The collapsible hood 22 comprises a frame formed of spring wire of U-shape, provided with hooks 22* at each end to embrace the rear members a and Z) and distance pieces of stiff wire 23 the ends of which engage the two sides of the U so as to slide freely thereon. The fabric of the hood is attached to the wires 23 to the rod 2' and to the outer it is attached across the front edge of the frame wire at 24, thence over the top and to the cross rod 2' over which it extends slightly to carry rain drops clear of the chair. The sides of the hood are 24:, 25, 3, 23, with a flap extension 2%, 25, 26 which can be fixed by a press button to position 24:, 25, 27. sewn to the top fabric along 2%, 23, 3 and on to eyelets through which the frame side wires pass. The lower edge of the the hood is attached at and lies" on the outside of the outer fabric covers.

The side wires of the frame are strained to a cni e 255, 25 by having to conform to the sides of the hood, the upward strain the point of attachment 25 being taken bv the cord h and the cord 27, 25, 4-, which is attached to it and to the point 25, but on the inside of the outer coveigdown to i on members a and b.

.Qhe hammock may be ad usted for various positions of the occupant. For an upright sitting position the end i of the additional strip or fabric 17, a, is hooked In order to form a fiat bed this additional strip of fabric 17, f, is attached on to the member 9' at 8, the fabric of the pocket being engagei'l in the hooks and the hook 15 is passed over the rod 3 (l igure 3). To obtain a reclining p0 sition the additional strip 17,. lmay be either as shown on the drawing (iligure l) or at 17, 8 the latter position a'li'ordi11;, a leg rest.

ii child may sit in the chair i'is-a-vis or facing the nurse by sliding thi prongs of a til-shaped frame into the tube rming the sides of the frame 9 and securing the same therein at any desired height by bolts. The top of the pocket spans the space between the ends of the fra re 9 and this being of fabric is comfortable for a child to lean against as hereinafter described.

Two children can occupy the one chair by 1 placing the additional sti ip either as shown at 17, i, on the drawing (Figure 1) or at 17, 21.. One child sits in the hammock and the other between the first childs legs in the 'ioi-ket and on the footboard. 7.: and leans against the front fabric of the pocket, pass- The sides are sides of ill) ing its legs through the gaps, 10, 6, 5 on each side of the hammock and places its feet on the end of the levers p which are for this purpose bent outwards (Figure 3).

The hood will stay in any intermediate position between fully opened and closed: the position being maintained by the bendingstrain on the side wires. Lateral stability is obtained by the diagonal bracing of the four top corners by tapes. This cross bracing is suspended in the centre at 28 to ie centre of the distance piece wire 23 so as not to drag when the hood is closed.

In order to close the hood, the closed position being shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, the front flaps must be in the position 2%, 25, 26. The hooks 22 are detached from the tubes 0 and b and are pulled downwardly and attached to the lower end of the same. The wire guiding slots in the rod '5 retain the eyelets through which the wires slide and the fabric of the hood remains in folds between 25, 3 and cross the top of the hood above the rod 2'. The distance 25, 3 must be less than from 2-5, to any point on the curve 24', 23, 3.

.ln oroer to collapse or fold up the chair the hood must first be closed in the manner just described, the additional fabric strip must be in either the position shown in Figure 1 or as adopted for the sitting position with the end -l hooked to the eyelets at 21, the hammock may be in either the reclining or horizontal position. The trip lever 1 is then pulled back and the chair lifted off its rear wheels or by the same action the wheels a fall together as they pass the cam plate a and come between the two front wheels Z in respective planes which converge in the form of the letter V. To ensure this action a cam plate 29 is provided which synchronizes with the cam in acts above the wheel strut hinges and forces the top of these struts apart and the wheels consequently fall together. The rear members a and 7) fall rilownwurds and forwards in unison with the movements of the rear wheel struts 0. The top of the front member g drops in a similar n'ianner owing to the tension on the cords relaxing and is drawn by the hand over all four wheels (Figure at) rod 19 detaches itself and the pocket is thereby turned inside out and covers all four wheels. The hammock and sides fall in vertical folds between their various points of attachment to the frame.

To unfold the chair it is merely necessary to raise it off the ground by the lever 1, draw the front frame 9 back over the wheels and the back members a and Z) upwards this also raises the front frame 5/ and locks the parts by pressing the trip lever l with the foot into required position against the levers Finally pass the rod 19 under the clip 20.

tions especially in respect of the lower limbs which is very important in the case of young children.

The internal structure iscompletely hidden, the outer covers hiding all the frame work and giving the vehicle a very attraci tire appearance and provision is made for two occupants each with a comfortable seatand back and foot rests. It. makes a very compact parcel when folded and hangs clear of the bony when carried by the bar with the wheels pointing downwards. It is also quite stable when lowered to rest on the ground in the upright position in which it iscarried. he weight moreover is centralized immediately below the handle instable equilibrium which gives comfort in carrying and the large clearance from the ground enables the carrier to mount and descend steps with the carrying arm fully extended. The wheels being covered donot;

soil the clothes while the portion of the. pocket wh1chcomes 1n contact with the wheels 18 on the reverse side so that used by the occupants of the carriage is out of sight when unfolded and can be easily cleansed by sponging when necessary.

What I claim is Y 1. In a folding carriage the combination with a light collapsible frame-work com prising front and rear approximately vertical members pivotally connectel to an approximately. horizontal member, front wheels fixed to said approximately horis zontal member, a body carrying member, and means for suspending said body carryiug member between said front and rear approximately vertical members of the framework of folding mechanism, rear wheels carried by means forming part of said folding mechanism, and means for operating said folding mechanism whereby the rear wheels take up a folded position between the fixed front wheels in respective planes which converge in the form of the letter V.

2. In a folding carriage the combination with a li ht collapsible framework comprising front and rear approximately vertical members pivotally connected to an approximately horizontal member, front wheels fixed to said approximately horizontal member, a body carrying member, and means for suspending said body carrying member between said front and rear approximately vertical members of the framework of a pair of struts carrying the rear carrying the rear wheels, interlocking pivotmounted levers connected to said ably said levers struts, means for operating w iereby the rear'wheels take up a. folded position between the fixed front wheels in respective planes which converge in the form of the letter V, and a pocket formed in the fabric of which said body carrying member is composed, which pocket covers the wheels of the carriage when the same is folded.

4. A folding carriage comprising the combination with a light collapsible framework carrying fixed front wheels, outer covers of fabric wholly enclosingboth sides of said framework, a body carrying member and means for suspending said body carrying nember between two members of the framework of a pair of struts carrying the rear interlocking pivotably mounted wheels,

to said struts, means for levers connected operating said levers whereby the rear wheels take up a folded position between the fixed front wheels in respective planes which converge in the form of the letter V, and a pocket formed in the fabric of which said body carrying member is pocket covers the wheels of the carriage when the same is folded.

5. In a folding carriage the combination with a light collapsible frame-work comprising front and rear approximately vertical members pivotally connected to an approximately horizontal member, front wheels fixed to said approximately horizontal member, outer covers of fabric wholly enclosing both carrying member and means for suspending said body carrying member between said' front and rear approximately vertical members of folding mechanism, rear wheels carried by means forming part of said folding mechanism, means for operating said folding mechanism, whereby the rear wheels take up a folded position between the f'xed front wheels in respective planes which converge in the form of the letter V and a collapsible hood comprising a hood frame member slidably mounted on a cross bar carried by the aforesaid rear approximately vertical members and a hood fabric member attached to said frame member and the aforesaid outer fabric covers. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LESLlE W ASHBURNE TAYLOR.

composed, which sides of said frame-work, a body- 

